Exploring Barriers to Reporting Sexual Assault: VA Perspectives

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Walden University *

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Sociology

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Jun 11, 2024

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Chapter 2: Literature Review Sexual assault has been embedded in the foundation of the United States as well as the intersection with race since Christopher Columbus discovered it in 1942. Sexual assault, including rape and sexual assault, is a widespread problem in the United States, with an estimated 81% of women and 43% of men experiencing some sort of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime (Kearl, 2018). Following an assault, victims must decide whether or how to seek help, including whether to report the crime (Lonsway & Archambault, 2020). Many victims opt not to report: Only 5%–24% of these incidents are formally reported to law enforcement or other authorities (Jacques-Tiural, 2010; Lorenz, 2019; Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), 2021). Reasons given for not reporting include victim shaming, judgmental comments after the assault, and lack of trust in the first responder (McQueen et al., 2021; Pohane, 2021). Victims may also resist reporting to first responders because they fear not being believed (Gravelin et al., 2019). Underreported rape and sexual assaults are problematic for several reasons. On the most basic level, not reporting these crimes impacts the ability to determine their true magnitude and the ability to prosecute them (Krebs et al., 2022). The lack of reporting can also result in victims not receiving the physical, mental, and moral support available through formal support systems (Patterson & Tringali, 2015; Shahali et al., 2016; Walsh et al., 2010).

While it is known that barriers to reporting exist in formal reporting systems, whether there are barriers related to specific aspects of these systems is not known. Of the various professionals in formal reporting systems, victim advocates (VAs) have a unique role as they are with victims from the beginning to the end of the disclosure process (Lorenz et al., 2019; Patterson & Tringali, 2015). Through this process, they assist victims of sexual assault toward recovery through advocacy and resource information (USA Jobs, 2022). This assistance can include crisis intervention, safety planning, referral, ongoing nonclinical support, and serving as a resource on available options to assist victims in making informed decisions regarding reporting options and care (USA Jobs, 2022). The specific research problem that will be addressed through this study is exploring victim advocates’ perspectives on barriers to reporting sexual assault in formal systems and how to overcome barriers to reporting from the viewpoint of individuals responsible for working with victims and the professionals who provide services to them. The purpose of this Qualitative study is to explore the barriers to formal disclosure of sexual assault and possible ways to address these barriers from the perspectives of VAs. Findings from this study may help to inform approaches to address these barriers, with the overall goal of improving reporting rates of these incidents, which in turn may result in more victims receiving the help they need and more of these crimes being prosecuted. Exploring barriers to reporting from the VA’s perspective may also help to inform a more cohesive and supportive formal reporting process. Literature Search Strategy

In this research strategy, the primary resources used were primarily peer-reviewed academic journal articles accessed through the Walden University Library. The searches involved in this research involved both psychological and criminal databases. The focus topics of this search within these databases were sexual assault and victim advocacy. In addition to the Walden Library, secondary and tertiary searches were utilized. These libraries included: APA PsychNet, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, ProQuest Central, ProQuest Dissertations, PsycARTICLES, APA PsycINFO, SAGE Premier, and ResearchGate. Utilizing the EBSCO Discovery Service library using the search term sexual assault returned hundreds of thousands of results. To narrow the search, Boolean search parameters were set and the following keywords were used: assault, bias, education, effects of military sexual assault or sexual trauma, effects of military sexual trauma, experience, female rape, gender bias, intake statements, interviews, law enforcement, male rape, military, military sexual trauma, military sexual trauma AND military culture, perceptions, police officer, qualitative, rape, rape myth, recidivism, sexual assault AND PTSD AND mental health, sexual assault reporting, sexual assault response, sexual trauma, sexual violence, victim, victim advocate, and victimology. This literature search included peer-reviewed articles and journals within the last five years; however, some in the range of 10 to 20 years for historical concepts were included. This helped benefit the research for historical purposes and fill the gaps in the literature as there is little research on the perspective of victim advocates. Theoretical Framework

The theories and/or concepts that ground this study include Bronfenbrenner’s (1979; 1986; 1995) ecological theory, which is one theory that will apply to better-understanding perspectives of sexual assault barriers in formal system reporting. This theory will assist in better understanding the relationship between individuals and their environment. When a victim chooses to disclose their assault, their reaction may be different than another person who reports their assault (Koss & Figueredo, 2004). Bronfenbrenner (1979) presumed five systems are supporting human development. Microsystems are in one’s immediate environment. These microsystems are close to this person and encompass relationships and interactions that possess the greatest influence in informal support such as families, friends, and peers (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Campbell et al., 2009). Mesosystems are interconnections and linkages that support a person’s bond closer to their microsystem (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). The exosystem of human development is a larger social system, in which one does not personally interact, but where they can feel supportive or negative assistance occurring from these formal support systems (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Campbell et al., 2009). A macrosystem consists of societal norms such as rape victim myths, expectations, and beliefs that represent a culture or community a person can be exposed (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Campbell et al., 2009). Lastly, the chronosystem encompasses changes occurring over one’s life as it relates to their environment (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Campbell et al., 2009). According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), these systems can be similar or comparable to one another, meaning they can function in comparable ways or can contrast significantly due to an individual’s role.

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